Finally, there's the staggering number of bug fixes going in, as with any game immediately post-launch. Cao revealed that his team has caught and squashed a lot of the PvP exploits.

Furthermore, players can expect one major change coming in: the introduction of a system he refers to as "chat 2.0." This will add push-to-talk functionality for players using controllers via the Dpad (remappable!) and an opt-in spatial chat using the in-game VOIP. Update 2 also involves a major overhaul to the entire social system within the game. This will be reflected in some very noticeable shifts for the game in terms of overall UI locations.

While players used to have to control most commands through the Social tab in the PDA interface, the commands to create groups, vote-kick from groups, and other things of that nature will now be located in the quick-chat menu.

Set-it-and-forget-it features such as text color changes have moved under the game's settings, which keeps them from cluttering up the chat menus. League controls have moved to their own tab in the PDA, giving an overall boost to usability that some players felt was lacking in terms of creating/running leagues.

Also, we're told that chat tabs will separate different chats, giving players the ability to toggle back and forth between league, group, and so on, which is great if you're in a group or league that tends to skip off the text chat.

I don't know that remedies all the chat menu complaints, but seemed like it might be of interest here.

I would also add "put in a few more power sets"...well, at least a strength based one. Having a superhero game that doesn't allow you to have a character based on just pure strength is just goofy. And yes, brawling serves many of the same purposes, but that's a skill set that still requires you to select a completely unrelated power set if you want to go the pure strength route.

One of the biggest complaints we had in beta was that this superhero game was openly advertising the ability to play using the powers of the iconics (wonder woman, superman, powergirl, doomsday, bizarro, green lantern, etc) like super strength/might...but they wouldn't be in at release. Like 50% of the DC heroes and villains are based off of might/SS in some way. Leaving it out caused me not to purchase the game.

Well that, plus as others have stated, this is like DC Universe: Street Fighter Edition. I'd like to say I'll check it out again when Super Strength and others are given the full attention they deserve, but I can just pop in Mortal Kombat vs. DC if I have a fighter fix.

Logged

Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play

Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.

Sony’s MMO Makers Close Three Studios, Lay Off One-Third of Workforcehttp://kotaku.com/#!5787461/sonys-mmo-makers-close-three-studios-lay-off-one+third-of-workforce

Quote

Sony Online Entertainment, makers of D.C. Universe Online and Free Realms, closed three studios and will lay off nearly a third of its workforce, Kotaku has learned.

Word began spreading when George Broussard, best known as the co-creator of Duke Nukem Forever, tweeted earlier this evening that SOE was seeing layoffs and "studio closure is possible." Kotaku has confirmed through a source familiar with the matter that the closures affect SOE's studios in Seattle, Tucson, Ariz. and Denver. Half of the workforce at SOE offices in Austin, Texas were pink slipped along with a sizeable portion of San Diego. In sum, it accounts for nearly one-third of SOE's manpower before today.

I suspect SOE will downplay this. For one, "post-launch" MMOs tend to pare down the dev team, aka the devs that create an MMO and its engine aren't necessarily the best to work on content updates and such post-launch. Lots of MMOs (among them City of Heroes, Age of Conan and Star Trek Online) switched producers post-launch and seemed to shuffle personnel a lot to get a team better suited to content updates and expansion.

Some might even prefer to go work somewhere else on something now, though I doubt anyone would "ask" to get laid off.

If SOE comments at all, I predict usage of the following phrases in some combination:-Reallocation of assets-More efficient manpower assignments-Superior centralization of technical expertise-Honing of corporate infrastructure to more effectively utilize personnel in a matter proficient to post-launch phase

The Agency lost some key folks a while back, and it wouldn't surprise me if it got the axe.

I'm posting this here since DCUO is their latest big release and maybe this has some ramifications for it (SOE Austin is the main DCUO dev, apparently); or otherwise SOE might posit this as somehow beneficial to DCUO's future.

While I do agree with the 'fire people after the work is gone' thing (very common for any game), that's a lot of people to lose. And it's not like DCUO did really well, either (with a huge amount of people quitting after the first month from what I've heard from others still playing). Oh, and from my understanding, EQ2 didn't make for a very good 'transition' to F2P either, due to 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' F2P goodies and design.

And Kotaku and friends can go to hell for redesigning their website like that. There's a reason why people don't use frames anymore like they do - they utterly blow.

« Last Edit: March 31, 2011, 05:39:50 PM by Destructor »

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

And Kotaku and friends can go to hell for redesigning their website like that. There's a reason why people don't use frames anymore like they do - they utterly blow.

Not only that, their stupid link doesn't work here.

According to the link CeeKay pointed out in the Planetside Next thread, 205 got laid off and 3 studios closed (Denver, Seattle and Tucson). Didn't seem to mention Austin, though I assume some of the 205 came from there.

Of course it's not funny to the laid off. I've been laid off twice, and it's never funny. But "corporate speak" is still funny imho...

I'd have more respect if they said:

Quote from: An imaginary, candid SOE press release about job cuts

"We're cutting a bunch of jobs and closing three studios because we got carried away developing too many different MMO projects, and we hired too many people to work on games that don't draw enough subscriber revenue to pay their salaries. We screwed up, and now our employees will pay for our mistakes with their jobs. And the key people behind The Agency went off to do their own thing, so let's not waste any more time or money on that project, shall we?

Ah, what a world it would be if corporations had to be up front about everything. Makes me want to rent that Jim Carey movie, "Liar, Liar."

We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily. In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately. We will provide an update later today (Monday)."

All SoE forums are down as of this moment that I've seen, and while I don't have any active SoE accounts, I'm assuming they're all also offline.

And now to post something about DCUO: Unlike CO/STO, DCUO doesn't have a 'global name' system, so there will no doubt be a LOT of people who now suddenly have the same name. This will no doubt suck.

FYI, how CO/STO works is by using a CharacterName@AccountName system, which means that you can two Super Hero Man standing next to each other in the same game 'server/world', because they have different account names. I think this is an absolutely fantastic idea that every single MMO from here on out needs to steal.

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

2 servers for the US, 2 for Europe. in each region 1 will be PS3, the other PC.

Does this mean PC users will get the opportunity to have their personal data stolen too! Yeah!

And here I thought I was kidding.

at least subscribers will get a free month of play out of it.

Actually 45 days for any SOE game you have ever owned. think I might reinstall Vanguard for fun....that and to harass Razgon

edit: of course I can't figure out where to download the game or Eq2 for that matter. Says this on website: "Create/Log In to your Station Account, download the game and get started!" Do not see any options to downlaod the game though.

Whoa, so any SOE game I've ever subscribed to, I now have 45 days of free game time? Even if I cancelled my account with the game ages ago?

yep. I have 3 different EQ2 accounts with 45 free days on them (apparenlty I've somehow bought the game 3 different times). I'm not sure if the days are counting down or if I have to activate them though.

Logged

Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

Whoa, so any SOE game I've ever subscribed to, I now have 45 days of free game time? Even if I cancelled my account with the game ages ago?

yep. I have 3 different EQ2 accounts with 45 free days on them (apparenlty I've somehow bought the game 3 different times). I'm not sure if the days are counting down or if I have to activate them though.

As long as your account was in good standing (not banned), you now have 45 days to play them again. Strangely enough, even though I never bought DCUO (just played the beta), I can play too. Whohoo, free game!

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

I really liked DCUO for the first month or so. But, as a casual player, after that the populations dropped off considerably, and the world was no longer fun to hang around in. Even moderately hard core players got to 30 in the first week. I'm hopeful that the Super Servers will help this as it will force more people into the same areas.

That being said, EQ2 is the deepest MMORPG game out there right now. Can get a bit overwhelming with all of the things to do, but in a good way. I think I will definitely take this opportunity to reinstall EQ2, although I'm still pretty absorbed by Rift.

I've been playing the last few days and to say that the game world is absolutely utterly and totally barren of players is an understatement. Yeah, we're low level (12 at this point), but you'd think you'd see somebody in the space station of absolute hugeness, right? Nope.

Very scary.

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

Today, SOE said that DCUO's first batch of paid downloadable content will be available for both the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game this summer. The Green Lantern has been chosen as the subject of this first wave of DLC. Titled Fight for the Light, the add-on pack lets players create heroes that make use of Green Lantern-like light-based powers. It also includes three new gameplay scenarios.

...

The Fight for the Light DLC will cost $10.

Seriously, SoE. You should've given this away for free, or say, for those who resub for a month past their free 45 days or something.

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

Today, SOE said that DCUO's first batch of paid downloadable content will be available for both the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game this summer. The Green Lantern has been chosen as the subject of this first wave of DLC. Titled Fight for the Light, the add-on pack lets players create heroes that make use of Green Lantern-like light-based powers. It also includes three new gameplay scenarios.

...

The Fight for the Light DLC will cost $10.

Seriously, SoE. You should've given this away for free, or say, for those who resub for a month past their free 45 days or something.

This should have been in at release, oh yeah, and might and mastery. When is that going in? This is way to little and so late it doesn't even mater.

Today, SOE said that DCUO's first batch of paid downloadable content will be available for both the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game this summer. The Green Lantern has been chosen as the subject of this first wave of DLC. Titled Fight for the Light, the add-on pack lets players create heroes that make use of Green Lantern-like light-based powers. It also includes three new gameplay scenarios.

...

The Fight for the Light DLC will cost $10.

Seriously, SoE. You should've given this away for free, or say, for those who resub for a month past their free 45 days or something.

This should have been in at release, oh yeah, and might and mastery. When is that going in? This is way to little and so late it doesn't even mater.

plus they're late, the movie is already out.

Logged

Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

Barring spectacular international box office (which could happen, as it did with Thor, as GL hasn't debuted in many overseas locations yet), Green Lantern was a box office flop in relation to its $200M budget and estimated $165M [so I read] marketing costs (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greenlantern.htm). So I don't think SOE should beat itself up for missing out on the GL cross-promotion opps -- the GL marketing gravy train never materialized.

Rather, SOE should beat itself up for various other reasons.

I smell a switch to F2P at some point (though I'm not sure F2P can be injected into SOE's DNA, so to speak), at which point the DLC can be shoved into a "F2P Store" like Champions and now CoX.

I smell a switch to F2P at some point (though I'm not sure F2P can be injected into SOE's DNA, so to speak), at which point the DLC can be shoved into a "F2P Store" like Champions and now CoX.

Well, they made Everquest 2 F2P (and basically killed the Live (subscription) servers in the process - but they were also in a damned if you do, damned if you don't area with that), and from my understanding, it's been moderately successful. Not sure how you can do it with DCUO though, where you can hit level cap over a long weekend (and not even full one, either).

Logged

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

As BJ predicted,this goes free to play next month,and they also say the game is free to download as wellIGN

i was undecided really what i thought when i was in the beta(i did like the music when flying),and the monthly fees certainly didn't help any decision i came to,but hey,if everything is now free then i may very well give this another shot next month,its not like there are any new releases that are out in the next month or two that are going to be taking up my time instead

Quote

Both PlayStation 3 and PC players will be able to download and play the game for free

3 Tiers

Quote

FreeNew players will now have access to the current gameplay in DC Universe Online (including Gotham City, Metropolis, and all current raids and alerts), with the ability to create two characters, join a league and many other benefits. Free level players will be able to purchase downloadable game packs/updates, additional character slots, powers and more through microtransactions.

PremiumAny player who has spent at least $5 (including former paid subscribers and new players who have purchased $5 of in-game items) will qualify for the Premium access level. Premium level players will have more benefits available to them than the Free level player, including additional character slots, additional inventory slots, and higher cash limits. Downloadable adventure packs, additional character slots, and more can be purchased in-game.

LegendaryMaximum features and benefits are included at this level. Loaded with enhanced additional features, Legendary access will be available for a $14.99 monthly fee and includes all DLC packs at no cost, more than 15 character slots, more than 80 inventory slots, the ability to form unrestricted-sized leagues, and many other benefits.

I know this game was considered a complete failure by people here, but I just finished a five month stint playing this game with three friends and had a good time overall. We are probably the perfect group for this game, though, in that we are super casual (play twice a week for a few hours) and made a group of four which is the magic number for doing the instances. Here are my brief pros and cons:

Pros:1. Great super casual MMO. A game where everyone can reach maximum level.2. Fast paced combat that was more enjoyable than wow-style.3. DC theme makes the questing more fun for anyone with an interest in the comics.4. Acrobat travel power is just fun.5. Group of four will get to see a lot of the end game content.

Cons:1. Maybe too casual for most people. 2. End game gets old and grindy very fast. Of course I'd say this for every MMO ever created, you just get to the end game faster in DC online.3. Buggy for some people.4. Interface is mysterious and console driven. Only six powers on a tool bar is lame and hurt the game a lot, especially when most classes are going to have three must haves that stay the same the whole game.

Anyway -- I enjoyed the game for what it's worth and wasn't bored for most of my 100 hours or so in the game. Frankly, I don't want to play another WOW game that keeps me playing for 1000 hours -- I'd rather play a game for a while and move on to something new. DCUO worked great for that and I got my money's worth out of it.

a lot of people slagged off Final Fantasy 11,but i met Myto on there,and it was one of my best gaming experiences i have ever had,i have often thought if Square make that free 2 play i would be back there in a heartbeat

Playing with Friends IMO,really does make games like this a much more enjoyable experience

It's a shame Myto wasn't with me when i was with Star Wars Galaxies,i bet i would of loved that instead of thinking it could of been great,but just wasn't

Question for PS3 DCU-do people use headsets to communicate or do they generally use a keyboard?

Any idea how large the full client is on this once it's installed/updated (as opposed to the d/l size)? I have room, I just need to start thinking about making sure I have enough space for SWTOR and other big 'uns coming down the pike.

Lorin Jameson:We will be offering DLC expansion packs for DCUO on a regular basis. These will contain a variety of new game play, including additional powers or weapon types, new raids, duos, and more. Once a player purchases a content pack, they can enjoy it whenever they want without additional fees. Even better, players who are at the Legendary level will be able to access all DLCs for free when subscribed.

MMORPG.com: Can you explain in depth about the $5 "Premium" membership? Is that a one time fee, and what exactly does it buy?

Lorin Jameson:It is pretty straightforward. If at any time as a Free access player one has accumulated purchases in the store equal or greater than $5.00, those players will earn Premium access. Players will retain this Premium level permanently with no further requirements. Any item players purchase from the store qualifies to be counted versus the $5.00 requirement so go ahead and choose what you find the most valuable and then reap the rewards of the Premium access level.

MMORPG.com:When is this scheduled to happen? And beyond the switch, when we will start seeing more and more content purchasable in the store? New powers, new items, and the like? Will they be added as they come, or on a certain update schedule like before?

Lorin Jameson:We are targeting late October for the Free-to-Play launch of DCUO. We will give a more solid date once we have passed through all of the approval processes with our partners at SCEA, SCEE and DC. We plan on releasing our mini-expansion DLCs on a regular basis with our next one scheduled to ship before the end of the year. We plan to put new powers, weapons types, and the higher end raid and other content in these DLCs. Of course, we will also be adding new, free updates between DLCs that will enhance every player's experience in the game.

Massively: Why didn't F2P happen in the first place when the game launched? At what point did you see this business model as the way to go for DCUO?

John Smedley: From our perspective, the business model has evolved, particularly on the PlayStation 3. We got a lot of feedback from users who said they'd love to give this thing a try but for the monthly sub attached to it. PS3 users voiced that very loudly, and we listened to them, and we decided to give this model a try. We think, long-term especially, it will be much more advantageous to the players.